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Seared Pork Chops with Spoonbread and Green Beans

A soft-centered cornmeal spoonbread and crisp green beans make a generous landing for quickly seared, gently finished pork chops.

A browned pork chop is served with soft spoonbread and bright green beans.

This supper uses the oven twice at once: spoonbread bakes in its dish while browned chops finish in an oven-safe skillet. Green beans cook quickly on the stove, adding freshness and a little snap beside the rich cornmeal.

Build a tender cornmeal base

Cooking the cornmeal briefly in milk and water hydrates it before it enters the oven, preventing a gritty center. Let the hot mixture cool for a few minutes before adding the egg so it blends smoothly instead of scrambling.

Look for a soft set

The spoonbread is ready when the top is lightly browned and the middle trembles gently as the dish moves. A slosh means the center is still liquid; give it a few more minutes, then check again rather than waiting for a dry cake-like texture.

Spoonbread bakes as seared pork chops finish gently in an oven-safe skillet. — The cornmeal batter bakes as the pork chops take on a browned skillet crust.

Brown first, finish gently

A hot skillet quickly develops a savory crust, while a short oven finish cooks the chops through without prolonged direct heat. Check each chop in its thickest center and stop at 145 F; a brief rest keeps the slices juicy.

Keep the vegetable crisp

Green beans balance the spoonbread with fresh color and a crisp bite. Toss them often over fairly high heat so their surfaces blister in spots while the centers remain tender and the garlic stays sweet.

The spoonbread has a lightly browned top and tender center beside pork and green beans. — A spoonful reveals the soft spoonbread center beside browned pork and bright green beans.

Plate while everything is warm

Let the pork rest while the beans finish, then spoon the still-warm bread onto each plate. Its tender center contrasts with the browned top, while a small splash of lemon keeps the vegetable side lively.

Seared Pork Chops with Spoonbread and Green Beans

4 servings

60 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt for spoonbread
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 bone-in thick-cut pork chops
• 1 tsp kosher salt for pork
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Method

Heat the oven
Set a rack in the center and heat the oven to 400 F. Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with 1 tsp of the unsalted butter so the spoonbread releases cleanly.
Look for: The oven is fully heated and the baking dish has a thin butter coating.
Cook the cornmeal
Whisk the milk, water, cornmeal, and spoonbread salt together in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Stir constantly for 4 to 5 minutes as it thickens to a soft porridge that still falls from the whisk.
Look for: The mixture is thick and creamy with no dry cornmeal pockets or scorched edges.
Finish the spoonbread batter
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining butter until melted. Cool the cornmeal for 3 minutes, then whisk in the beaten egg and baking powder until evenly combined; scrape the batter into the prepared dish.
Look for: The batter is smooth and pourable, with no streaks of egg or baking powder.
Bake the spoonbread
Bake at 400 F for 25 to 30 minutes while you prepare the pork and beans. The top should be lightly browned and the center set but still tender, with a slight wobble rather than liquid movement.
Look for: The top is pale gold and the center has a soft, custardy wobble without sloshing.
Season and sear the chops
Pat the 1-inch-thick pork chops dry and season both sides with the pork salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Heat the neutral oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high until shimmering, then sear the chops about 2 minutes per side until a brown crust forms.
Look for: The skillet oil shimmers and each chop releases from the pan after a browned crust forms.
Finish the pork gently
Move the skillet to the 400 F oven and cook the chops for 4 to 8 minutes, checking early; remove each chop when its center reaches 145 F, measured away from the bone. If the spoonbread is ready first, leave it in the turned-off oven while the pork finishes.
Look for: An instant-read thermometer reads 145 F at the center of each chop without touching bone.
Rest the pork
Transfer the chops to a clean plate and rest them for at least 3 minutes; a 5-minute rest fits the spoonbread timing and lets the juices settle before serving.
Look for: The meat rests undisturbed and the plate catches only a small amount of juice.
Cook the green beans
While the pork rests, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the green beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing often, until bright green with a few blistered spots; stir in the garlic for the final 30 seconds.
Look for: The beans are bright green and crisp-tender, with garlic fragrant but not browned.
Finish and serve
Stir lemon juice into the green beans and spoon them onto four plates with a generous scoop of warm spoonbread. Add one pork chop to each plate and serve while the spoonbread center is soft.
Look for: The beans taste fresh and lightly tart, and the spoonbread holds a soft mound on the plate.